Renewing your DBS check
Your DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is a criminal record check. tiney requires all registered childminders, and everyone in their household aged 16 or over, to have a current enhanced DBS check in place at all times.
When to renew
Renew your DBS every three years, unless you are signed up to the DBS Update Service, in which case your certificate stays current as long as your subscription is active.
Your DBS status is checked at every annual Quality Assurance (QA) visit. An out-of-date check is one of the most commonly flagged issues, so do not leave it to the last minute.
The DBS Update Service
The DBS Update Service keeps your certificate current without needing a new check every three years. It costs £16 per year.
⚠️ You must sign up to the Update Service within 30 days of your DBS certificate being issued. After that window closes, you will need to apply for a new DBS before you can subscribe.
Once on the Update Service, tiney can check your status online. As long as your subscription stays active and nothing new has been identified, you will not need a new certificate.
We strongly recommend the Update Service, it removes the risk of an expired DBS at a QA visit and saves money in the long run. Subscribe and manage your subscription at gov.uk/dbs-update-service.
How to renew your DBS
If you are not on the Update Service and your DBS is approaching three years old:
Apply through the tiney app or at start.tiney.co/dbs-regular
Complete the application with your personal details and full address history
Upload three ID documents; one photo ID, one proof of address, and one further document from the approved list
tiney submits your application through U-Check
Your certificate arrives by post, usually within 7 days (police checks can take longer)
When it arrives, send clear photos of both pages to onboarding@tiney.co
The cost is £58.50 plus a £6 U-Check administration fee.
Household members
Everyone living in your home aged 16 or over must also have an enhanced DBS check, renewed on the same three-year cycle or kept current via the Update Service.
New household members: notify tiney within 14 days of someone moving in. Until suitability checks are complete, treat them as an unchecked visitor, children must not be left in their sole care.
A child turning 16: notify tiney and start the DBS process.
Assistants
Assistants need an enhanced child workforce DBS check, on the Update Service or issued within the last three months. Notify tiney before an assistant starts working with children, and ensure suitability checks are in place first.
Name changes
If you change your legal name, you need a new DBS check. Do this as soon as possible after the change, it will be checked at your next QA visit.
If your DBS is delayed
Checks occasionally get stuck at the police verification stage. If your check has been at stage 4 for more than 60 days, contact the tiney team and we can escalate it through U-Check. You can also contact your local police force directly with your application reference number.